Myanmar fighting spills into Thailand, 2 killed
Myanmar fighting spills into Thailand, 2 killed
BANGKOK (AP): Heavy fighting between Myanmar troops and a rebel group spilled into Thailand on Sunday, killing two civilians and injuring at least 37 soldiers, the Thai army said.
The fighting erupted in at least three Myanmar border areas between Myanmar soldiers and the Shan State Army, a guerrilla group fighting for independence for the ethnic Shan minority.
There was no word on casualties from the Myanmar side, and the Myanmar government would not comment on the fighting.
Thailand said it was taking a "very serious" view of the fighting.
"We will use all necessary means to protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity," Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Pradap Pibulsonggram told The Associated Press.
"We would also like to see the problem resolved as soon as possible and we call on Myanmar to cooperate with us," he said, adding that diplomatic action will be taken on Monday. He did not elaborate.
Thai army spokesman Somkuan Sangpataranet told the AP that Myanmar troops fired a barrage of shells at the guerrillas, and some landed across the border in the northern Thai town of Mae Sai, killing two people.
He said Thai troops also fought a gun battle with about 200 Myanmar soldiers who intruded onto Thai soil in the nearby Mae Fah Luang district while chasing the Shan rebels. Seven Thai soldiers were injured in the fighting, he said.
Thai army Lt. Gen. Wathanachai Chaimuanwong said the Myanmar troops captured 19 Thai soldiers, but a Thai unit later rescued them. Some 30 Myanmar soldiers were injured in the fighting with the Shan army, he told reporters.
According to unconfirmed reports, two Myanmar soldiers were killed, Col. Somsuk Suansombat, a Thai army intelligence officer, said.
A border committee was trying to convince the Myanmar troops to withdraw from the mountainous area, where the border is often fuzzy and an uneasy truce prevails.
Somkuan, the army spokesman, said that in a third incident, Myanmar troops fired automatic rifles at a Thai army helicopter on a supply mission flight over Mae Aye, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Mae Sai. The aircraft was damaged but landed safely, he said.
The Myanmar soldiers appeared to have launched the operation to pave the way for the United Wa State Army, a pro-government group, to take full control of the region.
The Wa enjoy virtual autonomy in the area, while Shan militias have fought the Myanmar government for independence for the past four decades, funding the resistance with drugs.
Because of the fighting, authorities closed the border crossing at Mae Sai, which is on the northernmost tip of Thailand, about 720 kilometers (440 miles) north of Bangkok.
After about 10 shells landed in Mae Sai, shopkeepers closed their shops and the streets became deserted, said Fuen Kam, a resident contacted by telephone. He said the rockets damaged some buildings.
"This is some of the heaviest fighting I have ever heard in the area," Fuen Kam told the AP before leaving town with hundreds of other residents.
Most of the serious fighting is believed to be taking place at a hill about three kilometers (two miles) west of the town of Thakhilek, which is separated from Mae Sai by a canal.